Leroy Lita’s journey to success in the Premier League was filled with challenges, but he faced adversity with determination as a budding football talent.
Initially, Lita harbored aspirations of achieving stardom while honing his skills in Chelsea’s academy from 1999 to 2001. However, his dream of donning the Chelsea shirt was abruptly shattered when he was released at the turn of the century, leading him to seek alternative employment.
Despite his subsequent accomplishments in football, Lita remained grounded and was willing to take on blue-collar jobs to make ends meet. He briefly found himself working in the construction industry and even took up a position at a petrol station. However, this brief foray into alternative careers made it abundantly clear that such paths were not for him.
When asked about the support he received from his family after being let go by Chelsea during an appearance on Under the Cosh, Lita recalled, “My family were quite real to me. “They said, ‘You’re picking a career [where you’ve] no chance, really. Think about something else.’ I was like, ‘Nah.'”
“After I got released at 16, I worked in a petrol station for a little bit [and] done a bit of building work. I was like, ”I ain’t doing this for 30 years.'”
Fortunately, Lita followed his instincts and refused to give up on his dream career. He reached out to various club academies in the hopes of getting a chance and eventually secured an opportunity with Bristol City. Lita’s fortunes changed when he impressed the Robins by scoring five goals in a trial game. He went on to score 36 goals in 96 appearances for the senior side before making a move to Reading.
It was at Reading that Lita achieved his greatest success, playing a pivotal role in helping the team secure the Championship title and gain promotion to the Premier League in his debut season. Subsequently, he had a brief stint in the top flight with Swansea City five years later. However, nothing could quite match the memorable 14-goal campaign he enjoyed in the 2006/07 season.
Over the two decades since his professional debut with Bristol City, Lita has rarely been without a club, representing more than 20 teams across various countries and divisions. His journey included spells at clubs like Middlesbrough, Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, and Birmingham in England, as well as brief stints in Crete and Thailand.
It’s safe to say that working at a petrol station has been a distant memory for Lita for quite some time. Even at the age of 38, and in his second stint with Nuneaton, the former England under-21 international shows no signs of slowing down, having signed with the club at the beginning of the current season.
L. Lita
This season he played in total twice for 30 minutes for Championship.
L. Lita didn’t score any goal for Swansea City. He procured no assists. He received no yellow cards and no red cards.
His team is currently 10th in Championship. In the last match Swansea City lost 1-0 against Watford.
Hednesford Town performance and stats
Hednesford Town is currently in the FA Cup with points.
It has a even goal difference after scoring goals and conceding .